Buchanan County, VA

County

Add Comparison

2024 Population

19,415

US Senator

Mark Warner

Democratic Party

US Senator

Tim Kaine

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

47.8

1.06% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

25.2%

5.33% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$42,886

1.59% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$94,900

3.83% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

5,383

7.13% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Buchanan County, VA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

99.5% of the residents in Buchanan County, VA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA are Appalachian School of Law (39 degrees awarded in 2024) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (38 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $94,900, and the homeownership rate was 83.1%.

Most people in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 30.1 minutes. The average car ownership in Buchanan County, VA was 2 cars per household.

Buchanan County, VA borders Pike County, KY, Dickenson County, VA, Russell County, VA, Tazewell County, VA, McDowell County, WV, and Mingo County, WV.

United States Virginia

Population & Diversity

Buchanan County, VA is home to a population of 19.4k people, from which 99.5% are citizens. As of 2024, 0.804% of Buchanan County, VA residents were born outside of the country (156 people).

In 2024, there were 24.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (18.1k people) in Buchanan County, VA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 739 Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 188 Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

99.5%

2024 Citizenship

99.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 99.5% of Buchanan County, VA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 99.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Buchanan County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Buchanan County, VA

White (Non-Hispanic)
18.1k ± 15
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
739 ± 161
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
188 ± 126

1.1%

Hispanic Population

213 people

1.1% of the people in Buchanan County, VA are hispanic (213 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Buchanan County, VA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Virginia.

Most Common Origin

El Salvador
108,778 ± 8,047 people
India
98,440 ± 7,659 people
Mexico
58,677 ± 5,927 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Virginia was El Salvador, the natal country of 108,778 Virginia residents, followed by India with 98,440 and Mexico with 58,677.

Foreign-Born Population

0.804%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

156 people

0.614%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

122 people

As of 2024, 0.804% of Buchanan County, VA residents (156 people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Buchanan County, VA was 0.614%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Buchanan County, VA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
297 ± 124
Gulf War (2001-)
171 ± 98
Gulf War (1990s)
170 ± 111

Buchanan County, VA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.74 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Buchanan County, VA.

Health

95.2% of the population of Buchanan County, VA has health coverage, with 28.9% on employee plans, 28.7% on Medicaid, 26.6% on Medicare, 6.73% on non-group plans, and 4.25% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see 3,963 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,963 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 4838 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 1909 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

3,963 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Buchanan County, VA

Primary care physicians in Buchanan County, VA see an average of 3,963 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (3,963 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Buchanan County, VA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18.6% under 18 years, 16.4% between 18 and 34 years, 40.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 24.4% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.7% were men and 50.3% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

4.77%

Uninsured

28.9%

Employer Coverage

28.7%

Medicaid

26.6%

Medicare

6.73%

Non-Group

4.25%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Buchanan County, VA declined by 17% from 5.74% to 4.77%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Buchanan County, VA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 6.8 in Buchanan County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Buchanan County, VA.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 44.6% in Buchanan County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Buchanan County, VA.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 9.87% in Buchanan County, VA.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Buchanan County, VA.

Economy

The economy of Buchanan County, VA employs 5.38k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Buchanan County, VA were Health Care & Social Assistance (731 people), Educational Services (716 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (680 people), and the highest paying industries were Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($110,278), Utilities ($92,917), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting ($67,143).

Employment

Occupations

5.38k

2024 Value

± 597

−7.13%

1 Year decline

± 16.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −7.13%, from 5.8k employees to 5.38k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Buchanan County, VA, are Construction & Extraction Occupations (742 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (537 people), and Management Occupations (410 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Buchanan County, VA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Virginia (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

5.38k

2024 Value

± 597

−7.13%

1 Year decline

± 16.8%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Buchanan County, VA declined at a rate of −7.13%, from 5.8k employees to 5.38k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Buchanan County, VA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (731 people), Educational Services (716 people), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction (680 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Buchanan County, VA, though some of these residents may live in Buchanan County, VA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$49,892

Median earning men ± $2,750

$31,457

Median earning women ± $5,897

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($135,536), Wholesale Trade ($100,223), and Information ($100,156).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($47,614), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($43,205), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting, & Mining ($41,738).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Y-Axis

2.48%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 4.1M people employed in Virginia. This represents a 2.48% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.8%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Virginia.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

39
Transportation and Warehousing
32
Other Services (except Public Administration)
24
Retail Trade

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$137k
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction
$24.8k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$17.7k
Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing the state of Virginia. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Virginia is currently represented by 11 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Buchanan County, VA. Showing the available data for Virginia.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (51.8%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (46.1%)
Republican Party
Other (0.905%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Virginia went to Kamala Harris with 51.8% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (46.1%), followed by Other (0.905%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Virginia for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Virginia

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Virginia.

Mark Warner

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2009

Tim Kaine

Senator from Virginia

Assumed office on January 3, 2013

Mark Warner and Tim Kaine are the senators currently representing Virginia.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Virginia over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Buchanan County, VA awarded 77 degrees. The student population of Buchanan County, VA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 126 male students and 141 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Buchanan County, VA are White (51 and 68.9%), Black or African American (13 and 17.6%), Asian (7 and 9.46%), and Unknown (2 and 2.7%).

The largest universities in Buchanan County, VA by number of degrees awarded are Appalachian School of Law (39 and 50.6%) and Appalachian College of Pharmacy (38 and 49.4%).

The most popular majors in Buchanan County, VA are Law (39 and 50.6%) and Pharmacy (38 and 49.4%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 267 students enrolled in Buchanan County, VA, 47.2% men and 52.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 195 records, of which 53.3% were women and 46.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Law
39 degrees awarded
Pharmacy
38 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Professional Doctorate recipients in Buchanan County, VA was Law with 39 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Professional Doctorate from schools in Buchanan County, VA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Appalachian School of Law
39 degrees awarded
Appalachian College of Pharmacy
38 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Appalachian School of Law with 39 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 39 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Buchanan County, VA, which is 1.03 times more than the 38 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 51 degrees mean that there were 3.92 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 13 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Buchanan County, VA was $94,900 in 2024, which is 0.285 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $91,400 to $94,900, a 3.83% increase. The homeownership rate in Buchanan County, VA is 83.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Buchanan County, VA have an average commute time of 30.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Buchanan County, VA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.682%.

Housing

Property

$94,900

Median Property Value 2024

±$10,570

$6,255

Median Property Taxes

±$516

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Buchanan County, VA the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Buchanan County, VA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

83.1%

Homeownership

2024

65%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 83.1% of the housing units in Buchanan County, VA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 82.1%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Buchanan County, VA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$42,886

Median Household Income

± $3,670

7.53k

Number of Households

± 645

In 2024, the median household income of the 7.53k households in Buchanan County, VA grew to $42,886 from the previous year's value of $42,216.

The following chart displays the households in Buchanan County, VA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $50k - $60k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Buchanan County, VA is from Virginia.

0.47

2024 Wage GINI in Virginia

0.472

2023 Wage GINI in Virginia

In 2024, the income inequality in Virginia was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.376% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Virginia was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Virginia in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Virginia across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (81.2%)
Carpooled (10.6%)
Worked At Home (6.5%)

In 2024, 81.2% of workers in Buchanan County, VA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.6%) and those who worked at home (6.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

30.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Buchanan County, VA have a longer commute time (30.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.5% of the workforce in Buchanan County, VA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Buchanan County, VA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Buchanan County, VA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Buchanan County, VA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 10.6% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.682%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

25.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Buchanan County, VA (4.59k out of 18.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Females 35 - 44.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Buchanan County, VA is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 26.4% of the children was living in poverty in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 2.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 216 in Buchanan County, VA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 62.3% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.